Soundy

Actually Soundy, there are a lot of 4CIF or D1(standard res) IP fixed and PTZ cameras made by Axis, Sony, Toshiba, Lorex, IQInVision, Trendnet and many others. Of course, there are also many megapixel IP cameras too. That's why I said, "TEND to be".

First of all, take what you read on Wikipedia with a grain of salt The definition of a "digital" camera is pretty nebulous, depending on each manufacturer's literature. Most modern cameras with analog video output claim to be "digital", mainly due to internal digital processing... doesn't mean they can transmit over a network. The term you're really looking for there is usually "network camera" or "IP camera". They tend to be significantly more expensive because of the hardware encoding and network interface additions. Most IP cameras also tend to be "megapixel" cameras... briefly, standard analog video is very limited in its resolution (740x480, or about 0.355 megapixels, for NTSC), and regardless of how high the resolution of the camera itself is, it still has to be scaled down for analog transmission. Adding IP support to a standard-resolution camera is rare, because it adds cost without significant benefit. If you want to go beyond those resolutions, you need a different method to move the video... HDTV uses component and/or HDMI, for example (and even that is limited to under 2MP). Megapixel CCTV cameras generally start at 1.3MP and currently go to about 5MP in "common" designs. Naturally, the higher resolution makes them worth the added cost of adding the network support. Hope all that makes sense... to summarize, with standard PTZ cameras, you won't have built-in encoders or network interfaces, they'll still just be outputting basic analog video (the same as comes out the back of your DVD player and into your TV via the yellow A/V jacks, for example) and you'll still need a capture device to encode it on your computer. Your recording is probably using software encoding. A card/adapter with hardware encoding will help that a lot. With a dedicated DVR, you're not usually going to tell it to stop and start recording, because there's simply no need to - just leave it running all the time, and if space is an issue, set it to only record when it detects motion. Almost all of them have this capability built-in. And actually, I don't think I've ever seen one that ACCEPTS Pelco control... I don't think D/P protocols even have "stop/start" recording commands...??

Not really. I use an Adaptec Gamebridge TV, a USB video-capture adapter with built-in TV tuner. Paid about $30 for it. They have (or had, at the time) a non-TV variant that I think was about $20. The downside to this particular Adaptec unit is that all the video processing is done in software, so it is a fair bit more taxing on the computer. There are hardware-encoding units available for <$100 though, that do all their own video processing and would present relatively little load on the machine. With Mac though, your selection may be a little more limited. Depends. If it's just something to tinker with, I wouldn't bother with a separate DVR. If you want something to permanently record video for security purposes, then you probably do want a dedicated system, be it a standalone DVR or a separate PC-based DVR. You don't send control signals to a DVR, though... all it does is receive, digitize, and record the video. Some do have PTZ control capabilities, which means the DVR would then control the camera and you wouldn't have to code anything... but where's the fun in that? All the Pelco commands do, is tell the camera how to behave: tilt up, pan left, zoom in, etc. Nothing relevant is sent back to the computer (there would probably be some serial checksum data and such for command confirmation, which may be useful to you when writing the software, so you know the camera is receiving and responding to your commands, but other than that, there camera doesn't send back any data over serial lines).

Worst case, you could use a hacksaw (CAREFULLY) or Dremel with a cutting wheel to cut a slot in the nut head, and just use a slot screwdriver with it.

It's not really that complicated. All you need to do is send a series of command codes to a serial port - none of it is specific to any platform, OS, or coding language. Any comm libraries for use with modems and other serial comms should do the trick. If you're on a Mac, you'll need something like this: http://www.usbgear.com/USBG-232MINI.html - beyond that, just connect pins 3 and 5 to the camera's RX connectors (you only need to transmit to the camera, there's no need to receive from it), and code your software to transmit code strings over the port. There are some good examples here: http://www.232analyzer.com/RS232_Examples/CCTV/Pelco_D_Pelco_P_Examples_Tutorial.HTM#1 and http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/PelcoPDinC.aspx Note in the second link that they're doing it via C# classes, but C# isn't necessary to this - again, it's just simple code strings sent to the serial port, so any suitable classes in your dev platform of choice will suffice.

No idea, I'm not familiar with that specific system. I know older Video Insight systems only supported recording to a single drive; this may have a similar limitation. You may have to set the software to use only the 1TB drive (which should give you LOTS of storage anyway). In some cases, with the older VI setups, we set multiple drives/partitions as Dynamic drives in Windows, and then formatted them as a single striped set... you can go that way, but be aware that if one drive fails, it will destroy the stripe and ALL of your video data.

Assuming the system uses onboard video: If one of the new sticks is faulty, or if the driver doesn't like the timing or some other aspect of the new RAM, that could causing a problem with DirectX or the overlay (depending on which the system uses). You could try reinstalling the video driver, or put the old RAM back in, note the timing settings in the BIOS, and then set the new RAM to match.

Is it displaying ANYTHING on the main live screen, or does it just have little blank windows where the cameras go? If you take out the upgrade RAM, does the display go back to normal? If the PC uses onboard video, it's possible mis-matched RAM is causing a display problem. Have you configured the drive in Windows Disk Management so it's available to the system?

Have you ever been able to connect to your cameras from outside your home? When you're using your laptop AT home, it's generally connecting on your LAN and isn't affected by the router's firewall... when you want to connect from outside your home, you need to configure your router to pass on the appropriate port(s) to your DVR.

The most common protocols for PTZ cameras are Pelco D and Pelco P - a lot of cameras use their own specific control languages, but almost all support one or both of these as well, as do most DVRs. It's a relatively simple serial protocol, generally transmitted over RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 (the transport protocol, BTW, is irrelevant to the control protocol, so you don't have to worry about that). A quick Google search led me to this page: http://www.control.com/thread/1026204047 There you'll find a number of sources listed for the Pelco D/P specs. As for doing research "first"... isn't asking here considered part of your research? Hopefully the above will give you a starting point, and you're always welcome to come back and ask more questions

I've worked a lot with MIDI in the studio... I can state with 99.999999% certainty that you won't find any cameras accepting MIDI control. Aside from the fact that the two come from widely different industries, you'd have a hard time convincing any camera manufacturers to support it when MIDI cables have a range of (if memory serves) 50' maximum. Besides the camera supporting it, you'd need the control units (joystick controllers, DVRs, etc.) to support it as well. With so many established standards designed specifically for camera control, adding another, more complex, more limited one would be a hard sell for any designer. As for dolly systems... no idea there. I know computer-controlled broadcast cameras are the norm in newsrooms these days, perhaps something based on those designs could be adapted to CCTV. It wouldn't be cheap though - even simple fixed-mount PTZs are significantly pricier than standard fixed cameras.

Other than maybe Vise-Grips (long-nose?), I think the wedged-screwdriver trick is probably the best. All the maglocks I've ever dealt with, the nut and bolt come apart so easily, I can just hold the nut against the door with finger pressure while I undo it - did someone use threadlocker or something on this one?

This is a good point. Obviously the law will vary depending on the area, and I'm no lawyer either, but I'd think that yes, there would be a reasonable expectation of privacy in your *fenced* yard, and if nothing else, it shouldn't be hard to get a ruling against his camera(s) pointing into that area, especially if they're mounted specifically to allow them to view that area (high vantage point, etc.). It's one thing if he can claim that he just his cameras set up for a wide shot of the neighborhood and your house just happens to be in the field of view, but quite another if he has them placed and aimed such that they ONLY capture your house and yard. The key in this case, if you want to win the judge's favor, would be to NOT muddle the case with all the other BS the neighbor has pulled, but to stick to the issue at hand: his cameras are invading your privacy, and you want it stopped. Period. The judge likely won't care about all the background between this clown and the rest of the neighborhood, so just keep it simple and stick to the point.

Well the next question then is, what do you want to do with the signal? Are you going to record it, or just watch it on the TV? If you're planning to record it, are you going to get a dedicated DVR, or just an add-in card and software for an existing computer? Main thing is, is this going to be a serious security item, or just something to play around with? That determines how much more you're going to spend on it. First thing you need to do is run wires from the camera location, to wherever you want to control/watch it from. RG-59U coax is the cable of choice for the video signal; anything 18/2 or so will work for power, and another for control... or something in 18/4 (intercom cable or something of the sort). Lots of people here will recommend "siamese" cable, where the coax and power (and sometimes control) are all joined by a web to make a single cable - it's a lot easier to run (in most cases), but tends to be a little pricier and not always as readily available. Once you have that down, you'll need to be able to control the camera. If you go with a standalone DVR, you'll need to make sure it has this capability, and support for Pelco D and P protocols. If you're running into your PC, or if you just want to be able to watch it, you can control it from your PC's serial port (you'll need a DB9-female connector), using software like ike PTZ Contro. OR you can just get a dedicated PTZ keyboard/joystick unit (lots on eBay). That's your basics The one question I'd have is, what's the capacity of your transformer? PTZs tend to be pretty power-hungry, especially if they have heaters built-in, once you start driving them around. I'd recommend a transformer rated at 75VA or better, or you'll run into problems. Hope that helps

Short of hiding the whole DVR, it's a good idea. Take it one farther, and use a NAS box of some sort, as a network cable can be a lot longer and will be a lot less noticeable than "what's this USB cable running off to?"

A quick and easy way to determine whether the problem lies in the camera or elsewhere is to go into the camera's own web-based viewer (assuming it has one?) and see if the blur issue still exists there. If so, you can rule out the DVR, and avoid a lot of time playing with other systems and sending tons of stuff to tech support. Now assuming you narrow it down to the camera specifically: You've tried adjusting the shutter speeds, but to what? You ideally need to be 1/60s or faster. If you're in the 1/4s-1/15s range you can tweak it all day and it won't help matters. Remember your lens aperture as well - if it's closed down too much, you're reducing light and have to compensate with a slower shutter. Open up the lens more, if possible, to give you more range with the shutter. If it's already wide-open, maybe you need a "faster", larger-aperture lens. What's this lens's maximum aperture? It will probably be listed as something like 1:1.4 or 1:1.8, printed on the barrel of the lens.

Rio_Grande, you have two separate issues here: one, your router may be changing up the IPs it gives to the machines on your LAN (including your DVR); two, your ISP likely changes the IP it gives to your router, which is what you need to access your network from "the outside". You have control over the LAN IP assignment (as much as your router will give you anyway), but your ISP has all the control over your WAN (internet) IP, which is why you want to get them to provide a static IP. It may cost a little extra, but it will be WAY less hassle. You can go with any of a number of dynamic-DNS services, as suggested, that will automatically update a named address for you when the IP changes, but I've seen ISPs that force an IP change on an hourly basis, which makes those next to useless (I've seen others, including mine, that only force a change if they reorganize their network, which happens maybe every six months to a year). As for your DVR's LAN IP, if you have access to the router setup, you can minimize problems by increasing the "lease time" to the maximum allowable. The theory is that any machine receiving an IP from the DHCP server, "leases" that IP for a set amount of time (say, 24 hours), and the server basically reserves that address for that machine for that set amount of time. Normally, halfway through that time (12 hours, in this example), the machine will ask to renew the lease, and the count is reset. If, after the lease time has expired, no renewal request has been received, the server (built into the router, usually) returns the IP to its pool, and the next machine to request an IP gets it. Many routers have a "static IP" option (which in reality is a "reserved IP") that allows you to designate that a given IP be permanently assigned to a specific machine. If your router has such an option, you can use it to ensure your DVR's LAN IP never changes, so any port forwarding you set up will always send incoming data to the proper destination.

Yep... given the state of the technology, there's little benefit to reinventing the proverbial wheel by building something customized from the ground up. That's what we've been doing with the VideoInsight packages for several years, using the little cube-case machines from Shuttle. They work quite well, and drive space is easily expandable with external USB or Firewire drives (or even eSATA on newer machines). And we "borrowed" that idea from Camacc, who has been using similar cube cases for their Vigil DVRs for years. Or pull everything out and put it into a more powerful system... or... or... or... I started with PC-based (well, coming out of VCRs and MUXes). Every time I've had to put in a standalone DVR (usually because a customer wants to go the cheap route), I've ended up cursing it... and usually the customer has too.

A fair number of the "hardware DVRs" I've seen are just embedded PCs using a custom form-factor motherboard and some form of embedded, usually *nix-based operating system. And I've seen lots and lots of standalone units fail as well, custom hardware or otherwise. I've probably had more drive failures, percentage-wise, on standalone units, than with PCs, usually because they either have poorly-regulated power supplies, or poor cooling. More than the platform itself, I think what it comes down to is the old truism, "You get what you pay for." Buy a CHEAP system, whether it's in a PC case, or a little tabletop case, and you'll get CHEAP performance and CHEAP reliability.

Well, again, the Archos is a high-res screen (the 5 and 7 are 800x480) whereas your typical "cheap" (sub-$200) portable DVD is typically far less (my old 7" DVD's LCD was 480x234, according to its spec sheet). Four times the resolution makes for a WAY sharper picture, which makes for way easier focusing, even if the screen is a little smaller. And if you're using it for a portable movie player, remember that devices like the Archos have built-in hard drives - the 5 can be had with anything from a 60GB to a 250GB drive. 60GB will hold on the order of 80 movies in DivX format. And again, it can record the camera signal, which is something a DVD player can't do (it can be handy to have for future reference). Like I said, you have to keep in mind that an Archos isn't JUST a field monitor or media player; it's a small computer: it has WiFi and a browser, which along with a cheap WiFi router is very handy for setting up IP cameras (no need to lug a laptop). It also has PDF capability, which allows you to carry most of your manuals and other handy documentation on it as well. It does far more than your typical field monitor AND portable DVD player combined. Something to keep in mind when comparing overall prices...

wait the small computer thing here: http://www.archos.com/products/imt/archos_5/specs.html?country=ru&lang=en Does he have the Archos 5 or what version. I mean for that price you dont think I should grab a portable service monitor with bnc input? Yeah, I think it's the Archos 5. Depends... if ALL you want is a service monitor... or a loaded-to-the-tits media player with WiFi and recording capability (you could also load up AVIs of various test patterns and use it as a signal source).

Are you using masonry drills, like the type that come with Tapcon screws? They're designed for going through brick and stone. You'll probably also want to use a hammer drill, if you're not already. I strongly recommend the smaller type with a standard chuck - they tend to have faster, smaller strokes that won't cause the drill to jump around and damage the surface, rather than the bigger ones like Hilti and Bosch drills. Corded 3/8" or 1/2" hammer drills can be had for under $100, although this may be a good excuse to get that new cordless drill you've been drooling over Of course, if you can't afford a whole new drill, something like this works fairly well too: http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443303346&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672926&bmUID=1238689668693

My buddy is using an Archos - 5" HD-res screen makes for really crisp video and easy focusing (standard portable DVDs are generally "half-res"). He has a wrist strap for it, and of course, it can record video clips for future reference.

Most of the cameras I use have some form of spring or screw terminals. 12VDC barrel connectors are generally relegated to cheap consumer-grade cams. If I do run into these, I'll usually snip the end off the adapter and connect it to my power-wire run, then connect the rest of the adapter at the other end, as it makes it a lot easier to swap the camera out when it needs service or replacement (which is a lot more common with these sort of cheap cameras). As long as you match up the wires at both ends, it doesn't really matter which is positive or negative.

The biggest consideration might be over-voltage. Many cheap 12V cameras don't like anything over about 12.5-13V, whereas if this is a larger boat with a car-type charging system, you may be looking at up to 14-15V depending on load and engine speed. In this case, you may want to add a 12V regulator board for the camera.